Reclining chair mechanism



Nov. 28, 1961 w. D. TEAGUE, JR

RECLINING CHAIR MECHANISM 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 30. 1958 INVENTOR.

Nov. 28, 1961 w. D. TEAGUE, JR

RECLINING CHAIR MECHANISM 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 30. 1958 INVENTOR. 14441. TERDORW/N 724605 (/R.

ATTORNEYS.

Nov. 28, 1961 w. D. TEAGUE, JR

RECLINING CHAIR MECHANISM 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Sept. 30. 1958 INVENTOR. [#44 7'51? fioklwzv 72-34605; (/R.

' BY. @018, M, My 6842M,

WNW

AUTOENEFS.

Nov. 28, 1961 .w. D. TEAGUE, JR

RECLINING CHAIR MECHANISM 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Sept. 30. 1958 IN V EN TOR.

I I I I mu TER DORW/N Ewaugde.

BY. 7 @aa, M, M r @em,

ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent f 3,019,761 RECLINING CHAIR MECHANISM Walter Darwin Teague, in, Glen Goin Road, Alpine, NJ. Filed Sept. 30, 1958, Ser. No. 764,432 7 Claims. (Cl. 297-34) This invention relates to furniture, and more particularly to an improved chair of the type wherein the back and seat and leg-rest elements are pivotally articulated and movably mounted on a stationary base or support, and wherein the relative movements of said elements are positively controlled and interrelated by means of link age systems.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide an improved linkage or control mechanism for the seat and back and leg-rest elements of a chair of the above described type, by means of which the dispositioning of and angular relations between the back and the seat and the leg-rest elements are automatically altered in improved manner when either one of the elements are moved; such as when the chair is adjusted from the sitting position into the reclined position, or vice versa.

A further object is to provide a chair as aforesaid having a leg rest member which is normally tucked up under the chair seat, but which automatically swings and extends into useful position when the chair is in its reclining position.

Another object is to provide in a chair as aforesaid an improved leg-rest control system which automatically causes the leg-rest to sweep a varying radius are about its pivot connections to the chair seat element, whereby to retract as it approaches floor level.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the specification hereinafter, having reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

P16. 1 is a vertical sectional view of an adjustable chair of the invention, with the foregoing arm rest and side leg elements thereof removed; showing the chair in upright or sitting position;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view corresponding to FIG. 1 but showing the chair in intermediate and reclining positions;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary vertical section on enlarged scale, taken along line Ill-Ill of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary section on enlarged scale taken along line IV-IV of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a horizontal section taken along line V-V of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged scale fragmentary sectional View taken on line VI-VI of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary composite sitting, intermediate, and reclining view corresponding to FIGS. 1, 2, of a chair embodying a modified form of leg-rest arrangement of the invention; and

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary schematic view of the con struction of FIG. 7, showing the improved leg-rest actron.

Referring now to the form of invention shown in FIGS. 1-6, the chair base is indicated generally at 20 and may conveniently comprise front and rear leg devices 22-22 at opposite sides of the chair made of any suitable material, such as metal, wood, plastic, or the like. Side rails 23-23 interconnect the legs at opposite sides of the chair. The side rails are in turn interconnected by cross rails 24-24 having upturned ends fixed to the side rails by screws 25. A cross brace 26 may be provided to further brace the two rear legs. lrm panels as shown at 27 may be provided to integrally interconnect the top ends of the side legs, thus providing an inverted U-shaped base device at each side of the chair.

As indicated at 28-48 a base rail of U-sectioned metal form at each side of the chair is firmly connected at29 3,010,751 Patented Nov. 28, 1981 ice to rest upon the cross pieces 24-24. Thus, the irons 24-24 and the base rails 28-28 comprise an integrated metal base frame unit for the chair seat, back, leg rest and pivot control components of the mechanism, as will be explained hereinafter; whereby the base unit and moving chair parts may be manufactured as an integral subassembly and then mounted and dismounted relative to the wooden chair frame with utmost facility.

A pair of linkage housings as indicated generally at 30-30 are disposed above the side rails 28-23 and are pivotally linked thereto by means of thrust arms 32. The arms 32 pivotally connect at their lower ends as indicated at 33 to the side rails, and at their upper ends as indicated at 34 to the housings 30-30. Adjacent their rear ends the side rails 2s pivotally mount by means of pins 36-36 vertical brackets 38-38 rigidly supporting therebetween the back rest element 40. The brackets 38-38 also pivotally connect as indicated at 42 to the housings 36-30, whereby it will be understood that the side rails 28-28, the housings 30-39, the thrust links 32-32 and the lower ends of the brackets 38-38 cooperate to provide a parallelogram type linkage arrangement whereby the housings 30-36 may oscillate relative to the chair frame on the pivots 33, 36. The housings 36-30 are interconnected by a tray 44 to synchronize their motions and to provide support for the chair seat cushion (not shown). Thus, in the drawings herein the housing assemblies 30-36 represent the seat element of the chair.

The leg rest element of the chair is illustrated to comprise a main panel portion 45 having side arm portions 46 (FIG. 3) gripped between dog-leg shaped plates 48- 48 extending in each case in parallel relation into the interiors of the housings 30-30 and pivotally connected thereto as indicated at 50. The plates 48-48 extend therebeyond into pivotal connections at 52 with the moving end portions of corresponding thrust links 54-54 which pivotally mount at 56 upon the side rails 28-28. The links 54-54 extend therebeyond into pivotal connections at 58-58 with clips 59 connected to tension springs 60 which in turn anchor to the front cross bar 24.

Thus it will be appreciated that the leg rest, seat, and back rest elements of the chair are all swingably mounted upon the chair base by means of a structurally simple linkage system which is substantially enclosed by the housings 30-39. As shown in FIG. 1, the linkage system is so arranged that when the chair back 40 is in its upright position the linkage housings 30-30 support the seat cushion in its lowermost fiatwise sitting position, while the leg rest which pivotally suspends from the front ends of the linkage housings is tucked up underneath the chair seat. However, as illustrated by FIG. 2, the pivot centers are so arranged that when the seat back 40 is pushed rearwardly from its upright position to an intermediate position as shown by broken lines, the seat component of the chair is rocked upwardly and rearwardly. The lifting of the front edge of the seat component forces the linkage defined by the members 54 and the extending ends of the leg rest to open, so as to force the leg rest to pivot downwardly and forwardly as to the broken line position thereof in FIG. 2.

Further backward movement of the back rest 49, as to the solid line position thereof shown in FIG. 2, causes the seat component to further elevate and to carry the leg rest pivots 59-50 further upwardly, thereby causing the leg rest control linkage to open further, thereby projecting the leg rest in a substantially horizontal attitude as illustrated by its so l-id line showing in FIG. 2. Thus, as the chair is adjusted between sitting and reclining positions the angles included between the back rest, the seat, and the leg rest elements are changed so as to dispose the elements in substantially horizontal alignment, for comfortable reclining purposes. The pivot points 36-36 are disposed generally below but slightly behind the vertical center line of the center of weight of the torso of the occupant; and thus relatively slight pressures against the back rest 4% will suffice to cause the chair readjust itself to the wishes of the occupant.

Reversely, withdrawal of pressure from the back 4% ='and downward pressure against the leg rest 45 will cause 'the chair elements to reverse the pivoting action as hereinabove described and to return to the chair position illustrated by FIG. 1. it is a particular feature of the chair arrangement as shown and described that incidental to adjustment of the chair to sitting position, the leg rest element 45 sweeps downwardly and then tucks up under the seat component, thereby leaving the foot space between the front legs open to facilitate getting in and out of the chair. The springs 6% function to assist the linkage action in drawing the leg rest into its finally tucked up position. Compression spring-actuated friction discs as indicated at 62 in FIGS. 1, 2, 6 are provided to snub relative motions between the bracket plates 38 and the housings 3%, so as to snug the pivoting actions of the chair elements and to prevent undesirably free action. As shown in FIG. 6, the discs 62'62 are slidably enclosed in a sleeve 6-3 which is carried by an aperture in bracket 38, and a compression spring as fits therebetween to bias the discs into friction positions. Thus, as the chair adjusts the friction discs move in arcs against the walls of the casing 30. 7

FIGS. 7, 8 illustrate a modified form of leg rest arrangement of the invention wherein the link plates 48-43 are slidably connected to the leg rest .5 by means of slide tracks 7%. Control links 72 pivotally connect as indicated at 7 4 to the leg rest member at opposite sides thereof and extend therefrom into pivotal connections at 76 with the front ends of the housings 39 at positions spaced from the pivotal connections tl5} of the plates .348 to the housings. Thus, pivotal movements of the brackets 48-48 relative to the housings 3il-3 l result in sliding movements of the leg rest 45 on the trackways 7% as controlled by the links 72. The parts are so constructed and arranged that when the chair is in the reclining position as illustrated by solid lines in FIG. 7, and as shown in PEG. 8, the leg rest 45 is in its extended position relative the slideway device, whereby to provide improved support for the legs of the reclining occupant of the chair.

However, as shown in broken line at FIG. 7, when the leg rest is swung to a downwardly extending attitude the linkage arrangement automatically operates to cause the leg rest 45 to retract upwardly on the slideway 76. Thus, instead of followin a substantially circular path as indicated at 78 concentric of the center of pivoting of the leg rest to the housings 3d, the sweeping end portion of the leg rest follows a varying radius are as indicated at Si) (FIG. 8). Thus it is a particular feature of the arrangement of the invention that the arc of travel of the leg rest flattens as indicated at 82 as the leg rest swings downwardly toward the floor level. Hence, the leg rest motion incidental to the tuck up action thereof requires less headroom than if the leg rest followed a more circular path as is conventional in the art.

It is a particular feature of the leg rest control arrangement as illustrated and described hereinabove, that the crank arm portion of the leg rest support and the controlling link scissor about =their pivot connection. Also, that the link system is so arranged that when the leg rest is within the area of its underneath tuck up position the scissor link portions will cause the leg rest to move at faster rates than when moving throughout the rest of its arc.

This action provides an improved reclining ch-ai-r effect because whereas normally the leg rest is tucked up under the seat when the chair is not in use, when the occupant enters the chair and first presses back so as to adjust the chair towards the intermediate or res or TV Q viewing position, the leg rest will descend rapidly from beneath the chair toward its vertical position. The linkage arrangement is such that when the leg rest arrives at this position the ratio of leg rest motion to back rest motion is such that the occupants legs are thereupon comfortably supported and at angles compatible to the corresponding attitudes of the back rest throughout the range of intermediate adjustment positions. Moreover, within this range of chair adjustments the occupant is provided with substantially efiortless control of the chair, because he has firm contact control of the three moving elements of the chair.

Reversely, incidental to adjustment of the chair back toward its upright or sitting position, momentary release of pressure against the back rest and increased leg pressure against the leg rest produces an accurate response by the chair, thus facilitating forward pivoting of the occupants body into upright position. Then, after the leg rest passes the vertical downwardly extending position thereof while the back rest approaches its upright posit-ion, the rate of motion of the leg rest increases, thus terminating the tuck up action with a flourish. This confines the tuck up phase of the leg rest travel to a relatively small portion of the chair adjustment cycle.

Thus it will be appreciated that the novel leg rest motion of the mechanism of the invention is attained through use of a variable ratio scissors link arrangement, and that although only two forms of the invention have been shown and described in detail hereinabove, it will be understood that various changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the following claims. Y

I claim: v

1. An adjustable lounge chair, comprising in combination, a base support, a linkage system comprising a plurality of movable links carried by said base support, said movable links including a back rest bracket pivoted upon said base support, a back rest rigidly mounted upon said bracket, a seat member pivoted at its rear end to said bracket, said back rest and said seat member thereby having a common pivotal connection to said base support, a leg rest support pivoted at its inner end to the front end of said seat member, a guiding link pivoted at its lower end to said base support and at its outer end to at least one of said seat and leg rest members, said leg rest support having a crank arm extending therefrom, a controlling link pivoted at one end to the base support and at its other end portion to said crank arm at a point laterally remote from the base pivot point of said controlling link, a leg rest, a trackway on the underside surface of said leg rest, at least a portion of said leg rest support being slidably interengaged with said trackway and movable relatiVe thereto, and a leg rest control link pivotally connected at one end to said seat at a position spaced from oting of the latter relative to said seat.

2. An adjustable lounge chair, comprising in combination, a base support, a linkage system comprising a plurality of movable links carried by said support, said movable links including a back rest support bracket pivoted upon said support, a back rest rigidly mounted upon said bracket, a seat member pivoted at its rear end to said bracket, said back rest and said seat member thereby having a common pivotal connection to said support, a leg rest pivotally mounted relative to said seat member, a leg rest support pivoted at its inner end to the front end of said seat member, at least a portion of said leg rest support being slidably interengaged with said leg rest and movable relative thereto, a guiding link pivoted at its lower end to said support and at its outer end to at least one of said seat and leg rest members, said leg rest support having a crank arm extending therefrom, and a controlling link pivoted at one end to the base support and at its other end portion to said crank arm at a point lateral 1y remote from the pivotal axis defined by the inner pivot point of said leg rest support and the base support pivot point of said controlling link, said controlling link and said crank arm being constructed and arranged to provide a variable ratio scissors link device causing said leg rest support to extend forwardly of the chair in one condition of adjustment and rearwardly underneath the chair seat member in another condition of adjustment.

3. An adjustable lounge chair, comprising in combination, a base support, a linkage system com rising a plurality of movable links carried by said base support, said movable links including a back rest bracket pivoted upon said base support, a back rest rigidly mounted upon said bracket, 21 seat member pivoted at its rear end to said bracket, said back rest and said seat member thereby having a common pivotal connection to said base support, a leg rest support pivoted at its inner end to the front end of said seat member, a guiding link pivoted at its lower end to said base support and at its outer end to at least one of said seat and leg rest members, said leg rest support having a crank arm extending therefrom, a controlling link pivoted at one end to the base support and at its other end portion to said crank arm at a point laterally remote from the base pivot point of said controlling link, said crank arm and said controlling link thereby defining a scissors link device having a Variable throw effect, a leg rest, a trackway on the underside surface of said leg rest, at least a portion of said leg rest support being slidably interengaged with said trackway and mova ble relative thereto, and a leg rest control link pivotally connected at one end to said seat at a position spaced from the pivotal connection of said leg rest support to said seat, the other end of said leg rest control link being pivotally connected to said leg rest whereby to cause movement thereof relative to said leg rest support incidental to pivoting of the latter relative to said seat.

4. An adjustable lounge chair, comprising in combination, a base support, a linkage system including a back rest link pivoted upon said support, a seat link pivoted at its rear end to said back rest link, a leg rest link pivoted at its inner end to the front end of said seat link, a guiding link pivoted at its lower end to said support and at its outer end to said seat link, said leg rest link having a crank arm extending therefrom, and a controlling link pivoted at one end to the base support and at its other end to said crank arm at a point laterally remote from the base pivot point of said controlling link, a leg rest, a trackway on the underside surface of said leg rest, at least a portion of said leg rest link being slidably interengaged with said trackway and movable relative thereto, and a leg rest control link pivotally connected at one end to said seat link at a position spaced from the pivotal connection of said leg rest link to said seat link, the other end of said leg rest control link being pivotally connected to said leg rest whereby to cause movements thereof relative to said leg rest link incidental to pivoting of the latter relative to said seat link.

5. In an adjustable lounge chair having a seat member movably mounted upon a base, a leg rest pivoted at one end to the front end of said seat member and arranged to swing from leg supporting position to a tuck up position under said seat member, a leg rest support member slidably interengaged with said leg rest and movable relative thereto and having a crank arm extending therefrom, and a controlling link pivoted at one end to the base and at its other end to said crank arm at a point laterally remote from the base pivot point of said controlling link and thereby defining in cooperation with said crank arm a scissors linkage operable to provide a substantially higher rate of leg rest travel while in the tuck up phase thereof.

6. In an adjustable lounge chair having a seat member movably mounted upon a base, a leg rest support pivoted at one end to the front end of said seat member and arranged to swing from leg supporting position to a tuck up position under said seat member, said leg rest support having a crank arm extending therefrom, a controlling link pivoted at one end to the base and at its other end to said crank arm at a point laterally remote from the base pivot point of said controlling link and thereby defining a scissors linkage operable to provide a substantially higher rate of leg rest support travel while in the tuck up phase thereof, a leg rest, a trackway on the underside surface of said leg rest, at least a portion of said leg rest support being slidably interengaged with said trackway and movable relative thereto, and a control link pivoted at one end to said seat and at its other end to said leg rest.

7. An adjustable lounge chair, comprising in combination, a base support, a back rest support bracket pivoted upon said support, a seat bracket comprising a pair of parallel plates disposed at opposite sides of and pivoted at their rear ends to said bracket, said back rest and said seat member thereby having a common pivotal connection to said support, said bracket being apertured intermediately of said plates at a position eccentric of said piv otal connections, a sleeve disposed through the aperture of said bracket and thereby transversely mounted thereon, friction discs slide-fitted into the opposite ends of said sleeve, and a compression spring disposed within said sleeve and based at its opposite ends against said discs thereby biasing said discs into friction bearing relation against the adjacent inner surfaces of said plates.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 607,293 Streit July 12, 1898 2,807,310 Sellner Sept. 24, 1957 2,823,731 Miller Feb. 18, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 769,644 Great Britain Mar. 13, 1957 

